Triumph through Teamworka Story of Sporting Success at St Cuthbert’s

2022/23 Season Preview

The 2022/23 season for sport was an enthralling experience for all involved at St Cuthbert’s. From the lower school right up to Year 11, there have been successes across the board. A whole host of silverware was realistically achievable this season, with a lot of potential behind the ‘boys in burgundy’, including a football ‘Invincibles’ team carrying on from their success in Year 10 (‘pushing for glory’ in the words of school football coach Mr Cheema.) This was alongside a young Year 7 team, taking their first steps into secondary school football at St Cuthbert’s with great success. As well as our footballing achievements, we are proud to witness the growth of sport more widely throughout the school, and the major success of the co-curricular programme to enrich pupils with an education within and beyond the classroom.

Co-Curricular at St Cuthberts

In the words of PE teacher Mr Hogg, the lunchtime co-curricular programme has “once again been a major success for the school” and “has provided a range of different sporting opportunities”. This drive for co-curricular opportunity expresses the desire to equip pupils at St Cuthbert’s with skills separate from the school curriculum, instilling our school’s four key values of competence, conscience, compassion and commitment.

Key clubs include the highly successful dodgeball team, with our Year 7-8 team being established as part of the Newcastle City Schools League in the 2023-24 academic year. 2023 also saw the return of the fitness suite for our Year 10 and 11 students at lunchtimes, which saw this club turn from a humble twice-a-week event to four days a week with 10-15 students attending and inventing their own programmes and workouts on self-researched knowledge.

The “Cuthbert’s Galacticos” Year 11 story

The 2022/23 season saw the return of one of our most promising footballing sides in St Cuthbert’s history, heading into the 2022/23 season on the back of an incredible invincible season in Year 10. The sights were subsequently set on the U16 ESFA National Cup by the team and coach Mr Adams, one of the most coveted prizes in school football.

The Year 11 team beat schools from North Tyneside, County Durham, Redcar and all across the North East and saw them gain their place in the sixth round of the cup, the furthest a St Cuthbert’s team has gone in the past 10 years. This was an incredible achievement and history was made for this extremely talented group. A convincing 3-0 win against Beckett School of Nottingham would see the boys secure their place in the semifinal.

The months prior to the National Cup semi-final saw the team pull off an amazing 7-2 second half turnaround from 2-1 down to retain the City Cup won in the previous invincible season, a hard-fought game where the team showed the determination to carry on under pressure. After this convincing victory, the team looked forward to their next game: the stage was set for an incredible semi-final in the National Cup against southern team Samuel Whitbread Academy. An enthralling, aggressive pressing game saw the St Cuthbert's team fight until the very end and they were very unfortunate to be knocked out of the cup 2-1 by a well organised Samuel Whitbread team. Our very own ‘Galacticos’ team collected a vast amount of silverware in their time at St Cuthbert’s, from Year 7 to 11, including their treble winning Year 10 season and National Cup semi-final. In the words of coach Mr Adams, “We wish the boys all the best in their future and can only hope they continue to play football for many more years to come”.

‘La Masia’ Year 7s ‘en’ St Cuthbert’s

Following in the footsteps of our ‘Galacticos’ Year 11, the energetic and coordinated Year 7 football team have been moving from strength to strength in recent months throughout the 2022/23 season, under the guidance of coach Mr Ruscoe. The most recent victory for the team was a comfortable 3-1 win against local team Benfield in the County Cup final, usually a close-fought and engaging fixture between the sides for any neutral spectators over previous years. This secured the first piece of silverware for this team with such huge potential. Mr Ruscoe instils teamwork and communication amongst his players, who are a naturally gifted group of individuals when coming together as a team, playing some exciting football. The team has a record of 14 wins and 2 losses over the course of the season, an impeccable record for their first season in secondary school football. As the team moves from strength to strength, they should be incredibly proud of themselves as they look to make history and win silverware for St Cuthbert’s over the coming years.

Rugby & Basketball at St Cuthbert’s

This year's rugby team has benefitted from external coaching from Newcastle Falcons and Mr Manfredi, an amazing opportunity for all involved to learn more from professionals of the game. With this help, the Year 11 rugby team managed to progress to the quarter finals of the County Cup, another great achievement for a St Cuthbert’s team.

In terms of basketball this year, an external Newcastle Eagles coaching team has been providing high quality coaching which has seen the Year 7-8 team competing in the Junior NBA Playoffs this year, a very exciting prospect for the teams. This year's Year 11 basketball team finished second in the Newcastle City League and this subsequently qualified the team to represent the city in the Newcastle Tyne and Wear Games which was hosted at the Newcastle Eagles Vertu Motors Arena: a great chance for the boys to play on such an amazing court and create some longlasting memories.

Overall, sport in 2022/23 for St Cuthbert’s has been a great success. The triumphs of all our sports teams, as well as the growth of co-curricular clubs, has been a testament to all the staff and students involved.

School makes the local press: Pupils at St Bede's Catholic Primary School in Bedlington have created a Reflection Garden in memory of a former governor

A group of pupils, Mini Vinnies, have helped create a garden affectionately known as the The Reflection Garden within their school grounds. It is a as space where children and adults can reflect upon past, present and future. “It can be a prayer space for children, and it can also be a place of growth, ” said Mrs Worrall, Headteacher.

The idea, which was developed by the father of two pupils, includes areas for each year group to plant and maintain. Designed to be a space for reflection the garden also features a memorial plaque to Joan Riley, who was a governor at the school.

Along with her role as a governor Mrs Riley also taught at St Bede’s when her children were young, saw her four grandchildren attend the school and was parishioner of St

Bede’s Church. Mrs Worrall said she “was key to the school’s development when it first transitioned from a First school to a Primary school in 2010 and she is a huge miss to all who loved her, including the St Bede’s community”.

Mrs Riley’s granddaughter who helped fit the memorial plaque said, it is a place that “ helps us remember important people like my Grandma Joan”. Mrs Riley sadly passed away in September 2020.

School makes the local press with their fundraising activities for North East Hearts with Goals

You can read the full article at www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/st-bedes-bedlington-school-garden-27042644. The school is looking forward to a simple blessing service with Fr Peter Stott in the coming weeks.

Penelope Jobling, a pupil at St Bede’s Catholic Primary School in Denton Burn, who carries a portable defibrillator, raised £2600 with her classmates earlier this year.

Penelope has a serious heart condition, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), which means that she needs constant access to a defibrillator.

St Bede’s have their own defibrillator, but Penelope also carries around a smaller portable defibrillator wherever she goes. The money was raised through a sponsored walk, which involved children walking one mile (equivalent to 20 laps of the KS2 yard) for the older children or walking ½ a mile [equivalent to 10 laps of the KS2 yard] over the course of a week.

The money was donated to North East Hearts with Goals through their programme Heart Save Homes and will be used to purchase a portable defibrillator to give to another family whose child needs one. The defibrillator will have the school’s badge displayed on it and it will be a wonderful reminder that the children of St Bede’s have yet again put their ‘Faith in action’.

You can more about the Penelope and her fundraising here: www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/ scotswood-girl-rare-heart-condition-26441090.